DS Flashcards and You
Part IV: Miscellaneous
by Jared “Gapporin” Bottorff
Here I will tie up some ends about various aspects of the DS flashcard.
[/> What Card Is Right For Me?
Unfortunately, there is no fast and hard answer to this question. One person might look for different features that a flashcard may have, while another person may not even care about the same features. For example, when I had my Max Media Dock, it did not automatically sort the files and folders on the SD card by alphabetical order. The only way it was sorted was that from oldest and newest, and the newest files were always at the bottom. This, in my opinion, was annoying. Therefore, when I purchased the Supercard DS One, I was happy to learn that the files could be organized by alphabetical order. A small quibble, but it was something very important to me. Even now, some of the more recent flashcards fail to do even that. It is all a matter of preference.
The only answer I can give is to do your research. Places like GBATemp have a wealth of information and reviews to share, so I would suggest digging there first. Just make sure to note when the review was written, and check the manufacturer’s website to see if any improvements have been made in that certain card since the review date. For example, GBAtemp’s review of the Supercard DS One was written in early 2007, and some of the problems they point out with the card have actually been fixed or improved upon with later revisions of the OS.
Where Can I Buy One?
Due to the nature of the flashcard (unlicensed and unsupported by Nintendo), you are not likely to find them in any Wal-Mart or Best Buy store*. Often times, the manufacturer of the flashcard will maintain a list of where their products are being sold online worldwide. In addition, places like GBAtemp mentioned above will be able to show you reputable places to purchase a flashcard.
* = I say unlikely because there are some Datel products being sold in mainstream stores, like the Media Dock and the Games n’ Music. Although they do run homebrew, they are not recommended for purchase because they are severely crippled in what they can or cannot run on the flashcard. Both the Media Dock and the Games n’ Music have a file size limit of ~2 MB; anything larger, and the file will freeze and crash. This is done to circumvent shady doings with the flashcard (even if just running straight homebrew).
Help! My Program Doesn’t Work!
If all the steps are taken properly, there is a 95% chance that a DS homebrew program will work without any problems. However, a number of things that can happen may cause a program to act buggy or not work.
1. Look on the program’s website, forums or readme file for bug reports. Some programs may just not work on certain cards, or have already known bugs. Check these places first to make sure you are not wasting time trying to solve an unfixable problem.
2. Check the version of the program that you use. The bug may have been fixed in a later revision.
3. Update your card’s OS. It could have been a problem with the OS that caused the program to fail.
4. Check which file you are using. The more popular programs usually have three separate files in an archive to choose from: *.nds, *.gba.nds, and *.sc.nds. The *.nds file is the standard program file that is used by most flashcards. *.gba.nds is what Slot-2 flashcards use to run DS programs. Since the Slot-2 card runs through the GBA port, the program also acts in this manner. *.sc.nds is a special file that older Supercards use. Newer Supercards, like the Supercard DS One, are Slot-1 flashcards and use the standard *.nds file. However, the older Slot-2 Supercards use the special *.sc.nds designation, and are the only cards that do so. There are other designations besides these as well, but these are the three most common that you will run into. Make sure that you use the right file for your card.
5. Check your DLDI patches. Having the incorrect patch or even no patch at all can cause a program to do conflicting things. Sometimes it simply will not save, or it could even crash upon loading. Ensuring that you have the correct (and up-to-date) DLDI patch for your card means fewer problems for anything that you may try to run.
If all else fails, perhaps the program is simply incompatible. It is a very rare occurrence if this happens, however. You could try e-mailing the author directly (caveat: some authors extremely loathe being directly contacted, so make sure there is an available line of communication first!) with information about your card and the setup that you are using. He or she may be able to give you a workaround to the problem, or add a fix for a future version of the program.
You Didn’t Cover [x] Program! Or: Where I Can Download Homebrew?
Due to the nature of this series, it was not meant to be an in-depth resource on every program released for the DS. Instead, it was meant to provide an overview on the various things that the DS can accomplish. Half the fun is digging through the programs yourself and experimenting to see which are “keepers”. Many sites contain databases of DS homebrew. DCEmu’s Nintendo DS site maintains an active listing of almost every program released for the DS. GBATemp (mentioned above) also has a repository of homebrew, and a constant news feed of what’s new. These two resources should be a good jumping off point to find a variety or programs for you to peruse.
[/>